New Book, World Poetry, To Promote Cultural Tolerance And Understanding

Newark, NJ (1888PressRelease) February 28, 2009 - PublishAmerica is happy to release Dawn of a New Discovery: Inspiring World Poems by John Scott, originally from Jersey City, NJ, and Maria Flores, originally from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, who now both live in Newark, NJ and have been married seven years. Foreword and introduction is written and edited by Jane Statlander, Ph.D., Miami Wade College, Miami, Florida, and Thomas Edison State College, Trenton, NJ.

Dawn of a New Discovery is a collection of 170 poems in 384 pages, original and from several sources, that is hoped to inspire interest in writing and reading poetry. The poetry presents a kaleidoscope of ideas concerning lands, spirituality, children and youths, oppression and violence, school life and struggles, as well as painting a picture of hope. It's purupose is to shed light on diverse cultures of the world, as well as on the delight and struggle of childhood, the questions and conflicts of teenage school years and education.

The book attempts to be both artistic and poetic, as it tries to be informative and educational, both on the subject of poetry, and on the idea of world culture.

Much of the United States and the developed world has become a culturing mixing pot, with immigrants from all over the world. Dawn Discovery attempts to provides a window into the life and culture in these cultures, and in creating cultural bridges.

The poetry included from some of the more well-known poets is included with the purpose of educating the reader on the history of poetry, and give him or her a measuring stick to evaluate the poetry that they might write themselves and encouragement to write poetry. In this respect, Dawn of a New Discovery provides an educational door into the tradition of poetry for educators as well.

There are brief biographies of 17 of the more well known poets in the past few hundred years. The classic poets in this collection are: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Rabindranath Tagore, William Blake, Walt Whitman, Robert Louis Stevenson, Leslie Pinckney Hill, Eve Merriam, William Wordsworth, John Milton, Emily Dickinson, Robert Herrick, Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, Ahmed Faiz, Phillis Wheatley, Sam Walter Foss.

There is a small section in each chapter on how to write poetry for youths. There is also a few pages in each chapter for the reader to write his or her own poetry.

Some of the best youth poets can be found in the inner cities such as in Newark, New Jersey, where this collection was compiled, and a few of their poems are included. In today’s highly charged musical world, poetry has become an essential part of life.

Additional details:
Some of the collected and classic poems, such as Tyger! Tyger! by William Blake, and Passage to India by Walt Whitman. Included also are two poems by Rabindranath Tagore, My Song is Born, and False Religion. Original poems such as Green Eyes, which considers the mystery of the Muslim woman and Sari touches on the beautiful delicacy of the well-known Indian silken garb. Peace, is written by a Bangladeshi who resides in Newark, NJ, at the time 17 years old. Other poems consider the topics of the sport of kite-flying in Pakistan, the water buffalo as a way of life in Bangladesh, exploring the backalleys of Marrakech, Morocco, and the Casbahs of Algeria (North Africa). Bombay Artist is about the real life Indian artwork of Asha Singh, presently living near Mumbai, India. Tiger in Rio, endeavors to create a bridge between a small city in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, and Bangladesh.

Learning the positive aspects of other cultures, can help diffuse the antipathy and xenophobia towards other cultures that can develop, and help us instead to develop a world view.

The subjects of abortion, alcoholism, concentration camps, child slavery, the passion of Christ’s death, as well as lighter subjects such as mischievousness in the classroom, high school hallways, art and painting flowers, rainbows, and the details and nuances of Chinese art, landscape and religion, are also embodied in rhyme. Shining Shoes considers the lives of RioDeJaneiro street boys. Other poems consider the beauty of nature in America, such as the Grand Canyon, with one poem from the Inuit people. One other original poem, Praising the Great Spirit, is about the spirituality of the American Indian.

Some of the original poems were written in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, many of them were written in the streets and classrooms of the U.S. inner cities. It is hoped that this work will be inspiring to youths, who are encouraged to enjoy reading and writing poetry, and to give exposure to the plight of children in a difficult and violent world. The book is upbeat and positive, at the same time, realistically presents the realities of life.

“Poetry lifts the veil from the hidden beauty of the world,
and makes familiar objects as if they were not familiar.”
Percy Shelly, English poet (1821)
http://www.publishedauthors.net/dawndiscovery/index.html

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